Department for Transport

Inshore Fishing: Northern Ireland

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to facilitate the employment of non-EU nationals on inshore fishing vessels based in Northern Ireland.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The UK has ratified the International Labour Organisation’s Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188), which sets minimum global standards for living and working conditions for fishermen. Regardless of employment status or nationality, all those working on UK fishing vessels, including fishing vessels in Northern Ireland, are therefore protected by the UK legislation implementing that Convention.

Railways: Disability

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a recent assessment of the effect of his rail policies on the level of access to rail transport of disabled passengers; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Inclusive Transport Strategy sets out our ambition to create a transport system that provides equal access for disabled people by 2030. Within the Inclusive Transport Strategy, we have set out our plans to make the rail network more accessible including the commitment to extend the Access for All programme with an additional £300m, which as I announced on 4 April will deliver accessibility improvements at a further 73 stations between 2019 and 2024. We will monitor the delivery of the rail commitments within the Inclusive Transport Strategy, and evaluate its impact to see what progress has been made towards ensuring the rail network becomes more accessible. Progress is already being made - 75% of rail journeys are now made through step free stations, compared to only 50% in 2005.

Shipping: Equality

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2018 to Question 121982 on Shipping: Equality, when he received the further quality evidence from industry; whether the report on the Post Implementation Review (PIR) has been presented to the Reducing Regulation Committee; and when he plans for the final PIR of the of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011 to be published.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Post Implementation Review has not been published as it was not clear whether the proposed recommendations would need to be reconsidered following our exit from the European Union. However, the four statutory bodies for human rights and equality made a joint statement in June 2018 that the UK should retain as a minimum, the current level of equality protection. The Review is therefore currently undergoing final internal scrutiny before being presented to the Reducing Regulation Committee. Our publication of the PIR will be dependent on the clearance of the Committee.

Department for Transport: Procurement

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2019 to Question 233527 on Department for Transport: Procurement, in which months in (a) 2017 and (b) 2018 the Procurement Assurance Board did not meet; and what contracts were awarded by the Department in those months.

Jesse Norman: In 2017 the Procurement Assurance Board convened every month.In 2018 the Procurement Assurance Board convened every month with the exceptions of July and December.The Procurement Assurance Board does not review every single contract awarded by the Department, its Agencies, and ALBs. There were no instances of Tier 1 contracts (£100m plus) awarded without Procurement Assurance Board oversight in 2017 or 2018.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Technology

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people working on the Technology Overhaul programme are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​Technology Overhaul is a £120 million Information Technology programme in the Government's major projects portfolio (GMPP), aimed at transforming the way staff across the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its overseas Posts use technology. There are currently 12 people working as contingent labour, 15 from supplier resources and 6 civil servants working on the programme.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish an assessment of progress made by the Sri Lankan authorities against the conditions set down in the UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1, prior to its replacement on 21 March 2019 with the new resolution A/HRC/40/L.1.

Mark Field: On 21 March, the UK introduced a new Resolution rolling over Sri Lanka's commitments on post-conflict reconciliation and accountability at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. I am pleased that this Resolution was adopted by consensus with 42 co-sponsors, including Sri Lanka. We have no plans to publish an assessment of the progress made by the Sri Lankan authorities against the conditions set in Resolution 30/1. However the Annual Report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on 21 March assessed progress made by the Sri Lankan government in the implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 and 34/1, and recognised the steps taken by the Government of Sri Lanka since 2015 to improve the human rights situation. We commend the steps taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to address human rights concerns and to introduce a more democratic and accountable government. However we are disappointed that more progress has not been made. We continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to prioritise the steps required to deliver fully on the commitments it made in resolutions 30/1 and 34/1 and to develop a comprehensive and time bound implementation strategy.

Libya: Peace Negotiations

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with General Khalifa Haftar on the UN-led reconciliation process taking place in Libya in April 2019.

Mark Field: ​The UK is actively engaged in efforts to support the UN-led political process in Libya, the objective of which is to facilitate agreement between Libyans on a more inclusive political settlement, which would be the best way of stabilising the country. The British Government regularly engages with a range of Libyan stakeholders, including General Haftar. We recognise that General Haftar has an important role to play and have consistently encouraged him to engage constructively with the UN-led political process.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Egypt and (b) the United Arab Emirates on the recent military advances in Libya by General Khalifa Haftar.

Mark Field: The British Government is in frequent contact with the Egyptian and United Arab Emirates Governments regarding Libya at official and ministerial levels. The UK is monitoring the recent military advances by the Libyan National Army, and has urged restraint from all sides. We are clear that there can be no military solution for Libya. The UK is actively engaged in efforts to support the UN-led political process in Libya, the objective of which is to facilitate agreement between Libyans on a more inclusive political settlement which would be the best way of stabilising the country.

Diplomatic Service

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department has spent on (a) relocating diplomatic staff and (b) expanding or purchasing new diplomatic premises and official residences as a result of strategic changes made in light of the UK's decision to withdraw from the EU.

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic staff have been installed in New York; and how much money from the public purse has been spent on new diplomatic premises and facilities in that city in light of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Sir Alan Duncan: A number of staff across the FCO work on a range of issues including EU Exit. We continue to keep EU Exit staffing levels under constant review to ensure that they are appropriate to deliver the government's objectives.We undertake regular reviews of our estate portfolio around the world, ensuring it is fit for purpose. No decisions on diplomatic premises in New York are influenced only by the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Belarus: Mass Media

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take in response to the censoring of website and news outlet Charter 97 by Belarusian authorities; and what support his Department provides to independent news sources in Belarusian society.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK is concerned about the restrictive practices imposed on independent media in Belarus. We continue to raise this issue as part of our ongoing bilateral dialogue with Belarus about human rights and democracy. Our Ambassador in Minsk most recently raised these issues with the Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister in a meeting on 19 February 2019. The UK joined EU partners in raising concerns about the situation of Charter 97 during the EU-Belarus Human Rights dialogue on 17 July 2018. The UK is committed to the promotion of media freedom. The British Embassy in Minsk is working with NGOs in Belarus to implement projects to train independent journalists, build a media start-up accelerator, and arrange visits to share best practice with media counterparts in the UK.

Germany: Intelligence Services

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has received from the German Government on the Rosenholz files.

Sir Alan Duncan: None.

Department of Health and Social Care

NHS: Drugs

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on analyses of the causes of medicine shortages in the UK.

Caroline Dinenage: Medicines supply problems can occur for a number of reasons due to manufacturing difficulties, regulatory problems and problems with the supply of raw materials, or from issues which are related to the distribution of the product. The manufacture of medicines is complex and highly regulated, and materials and processes must meet rigorous safety and quality standards, so difficulties can arise for various reasons. The Department is responsible for the security of supply of medicines and ensuring continued access to medicines for all patients is a key priority. There is a team within the Department, which deals specifically with medicine supply issues arising both in the community and hospitals and receives regular information from the pharmaceutical industry about impending medicine supply issues. It works closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England and others operating in the supply chain to help prevent shortages and to ensure that the risks to patients are minimised when they do arise.

NHS: Brexit

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance has been given to the NHS on responding to freedom of information requests on contingency planning for the UK leaving the EU; and whether that guidance is published.

Stephen Hammond: The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides a right of access to a wide range of information held by public authorities, including the National Health Service. The Parliamentary and Public Accountability Agreements Protocols in place between the Department and its arm’s length bodies cover best practice for responding to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. This includes consulting with the Department where necessary and sets out that the Department’s FOI team will provide informal, impartial advice on relevant legislation and duties. However, the decision as to whether a request falls under a relevant exemption and whether or not the information should be released remains with NHS England and Improvement. The Department expects to publish the latest Protocol for Public and Parliamentary Accountability on GOV.UK in due course.

Urinary Tract Infections: Screening

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the gold-standard urinary tract infections test kit used by the NHS.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The phrase global or gold standard test is sometimes used to refer to dipstick strip, which are available in home kits, and urine culture tests for urinary tract infection (UTI). The way in which laboratories determine if a UTI is present involves screening tests to look for human cells/blood/protein in the urine, which can be done by machines or using dipsticks, followed by culturing urine to determine if UTI pathogens are present and in sufficient numbers. This second stage process relies on bacterial media/culture techniques and is usually not a specific ‘kit’. If a pathogen is present then the third stage is to determine the antibiotic susceptibility profile of the bacteria. Guidance on identification and treatment of UTI has been published for different age groups and clinical settings. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have published guidance for under 16s at the following link: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg54

Vaccination

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle declining rates of the take-up of vaccines in England.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Public Health England, in partnership with NHS England and the Department, is undertaking many steps to improve vaccination coverage in England. This includes initiatives to improve access to the immunisation programme; communication with the public; data to better identify underserved individuals and populations; and training for healthcare professionals. An example of this is the ‘Help Us Help You’ flu vaccination campaign which can be viewed at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/staywell/

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of preparations to implement the extension of the HPV vaccination programme to boys.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Preparation to implement the extension of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme to boys is underway. NHS England has carried out a series of assurance surveys to assess the preparedness of the system for the extension of the HPV vaccination programme to boys, specifically covering the service provision, delivery, data collection and coverage. The outcome of the exercise has shown that roll-out is on track for the 2019/20 academic year.

Vaccination

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of training on vaccines for health professionals.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England has not carried out an assessment of the adequacy of training on vaccines for health professionals. It is the responsibility of individual providers to ensure that staff are competent and adequately trained.

Mortality Rates: Children and Young People

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment the Government has made of changes in the levels of the mortality rate during (a) infancy, (b) childhood and (c) adolescence in the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department commissioned Public Health England to undertake a review of trends in mortality rates across age groups in the United Kingdom. This provides an assessment for five-year age groups between 2001 and 2016. It was published on 11 December 2018 at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786515/Recent_trends_in_mortality_in_England.pdf Children’s mental and physical health is central to the NHS Long Term Plan. This follows the National Maternity Safety Ambition to halve the 2010 rates of neonatal deaths (as well as stillbirths, maternal deaths and brain injuries that occur during or soon after birth) by 2025, and to achieve a reduction in these rates by 2020. Achieving this ambition would place the UK amongst other high-income countries with the lowest stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates.

World Health Assembly: Taiwan

Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly as an observer; and whether his Department has encouraged Taiwan to participate in technical meetings of the World Health Organisation.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department continues to support the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on this topic. The Government is working with likeminded countries to lobby the World Health Organization (WHO) at official level to issue an invitation to Taiwan to observe the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May. The United Kingdom continues to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations where statehood is not a prerequisite and where Taiwan can make a valuable contribution. The UK believes the WHA and related technical meetings of the WHO meet these criteria.

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whats steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of alcohol related deaths (a) generally and (b) among young females.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Public Health England (PHE) is working with local authorities, the National Health Service and prevention and treatment providers in England to support their work in reducing the number of deaths from alcohol. This includes supporting improvements to help increase the number of people with alcohol problems who are in treatment and supporting NHS England’s tobacco and alcohol commissioning for quality and innovation scheme, which encourages hospitals to screen all inpatients about their alcohol use and offer appropriate interventions. PHE publishes data to show the number of alcohol related deaths at local authority level. This can be viewed at the following links: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/ https://healthierlives.phe.org.uk/ PHE is also working with NHS England to implement a programme targeting people who are alcohol dependent, as part the NHS Long Term Plan.

Prescriptions

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the variation between Clinical Commissioning Groups of the availability of emollients on prescription.

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the prescribing practices of Clinical Commissioning Groups follows the appropriate clinical guidelines set by NICE or NHS England on the use of emollients for patients with inflammatory skin conditions.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department and NHS England expects clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to take both NHS England and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance into account in formulating local polices, and for prescribers to reflect local policies in their prescribing practice. In March 2018, CCG guidance was published on conditions for which over the counter items should not be routinely prescribed in primary care. This covers 35 minor conditions, including recommendations on the use of emollients for self-care of mild dry skin. The recommendation in this guidance only applies to those with mild dry skin or mild irritant dermatitis. If CCGs have implemented the guidance as intended, patients with moderate to severe eczema will still be able to receive their emollients on prescription as it is a chronic condition. NHS England has also recently run a consultation on ‘Items which should not routinely be prescribed in primary care: an update and a consultation on further guidance for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)’. This included proposals around the proscribing of emollient bath and shower preparations (it did not cover all emollients, which come in a range of other formulations). Variation of prescribing of emollient bath and shower preparations was reviewed and published as part of the consultation undertaken from 28 November 2018 – 28 February 2019. Details of this are available in the consultation document at the following link: https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/items-routinely-prescribed-update/user_uploads/low-priority-prescribing-consultation-guidance.pdf NHS England is currently taking account of all consultation responses and updated CCG guidance is due to be published in the summer of 2019.

Dermatitis: Prescriptions

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the treatment of eczema of the availability of emollients on prescription.

Caroline Dinenage: No assessment has been made.

Cancer: Health Services

Joseph Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the NHS workforce is able meet rising referrals for suspected cases of cancer.

Caroline Dinenage: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned Baroness Dido Harding, working closely with Sir David Behan, to lead a number of programmes to engage with key National Health Service interests to develop a detailed workforce implementation plan. These programmes will consider detailed proposals to grow the workforce rapidly, including staff working on cancer, consider additional staff and skills required, build a supportive working culture in the NHS and ensure first rate leadership for NHS staff.

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the criteria are for people with diabetes to be eligible for insulin pump therapy on prescription through the NHS.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England has published information on the criteria for patients eligible for insulin pump therapy, which includes supporting guidance for clinical commissioning groups. This can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/flash-glucose-monitoring-national-arrangements-funding.pdfThe National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also published guidance that should be used by prescribers to inform decisions on achieving the most relevant treatment for their patient. This can be found at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/mib110

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people with diabetes were prescribed insulin pump therapy through the NHS in (a) 2016-7 (b) 2017-8 and (c) 2018-9 to date.

Caroline Dinenage: NHS Digital conducts the National Diabetes Insulin Pump Audit as a part of the National Diabetes Audit (NDA) Programme. Data from this audit shows that the number of people with diabetes attending specialist diabetes services in England in 2016-17 who were using an insulin pump was 9,735. Data for 2017-8 and 2018-9 is not yet available. It should be noted that disclosure control has been applied to all figures, as per the NDA publication. All numbers are rounded to the nearest five, unless the number is one to seven, in which case it is rounded to five.

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people with diabetes were not eligible for insulin pump therapy through the NHS in (a) 2016-7, (b) 2017-8 and (c) 2018-9 to date.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Information is not held centrally on the number of people assessed and deemed not eligible for insulin pump therapy.

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many insulin pump therapy devices were prescribed by CCGs in (a) 2016-7, (b) 2017-8 and (c) 2018-9 to date.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS Digital conducts the National Diabetes Insulin Pump Audit as a part of the National Diabetes Audit Programme. This element of the programme is conducted on the basis of specialist diabetes services that operate out of hospital trusts, so the data is not published at clinical commissioning group level.

Department for International Development

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) financial and (b) non-financial support her Department has provided to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to support women and girls in Yemen, in each year since 2016.

Harriett Baldwin: The conflict in Yemen has exacerbated the specific vulnerabilities faced by women and girls across the country, with the number of incidents of gender-based violence reportedly rising by more than 60% since the start of the conflict in 2015. The UK continues to support women and girls through UN agencies which does not include the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at this time. Since 2017 we have supported 1,700 survivors of gender-based violence across Yemen as part of our £13 million funding to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Office for Migration, and as part of the UK’s more than £75 million in funding to UNICEF over the next three years, we expect to support 240,000 women each year with reproductive health services, including support during childbirth. The UK is also providing £39 million from 2015 to 2020 to a UNICEF/UNFPA Global Programme taking action against Child Marriage in twelve priority countries, including Yemen. The programme has reached nearly 6,000 Yemen girls, providing important services such as psychosocial support.

Yemen: Cholera

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department has provided to (a) international NGOs and (b) UN organisations to tackle cholera in Yemen in (i) 2016, (ii) 2017, (iii) 2018 and (iv) 2019.

Harriett Baldwin: UK support to international NGOs and UN agencies to tackle cholera in Yemen has focussed on improving water supplies and basic sanitation across the country, as well as funding vaccination campaigns and medical treatment. This has included:Funding international NGOs with an overall package of £19 million in the 2016/17 financial year, part of which included provision for improved access to safe water to 100,000 people. We also provided UNICEF with an overall package £19 million, which included improved water supplies for over 36,000 people.Funding international NGOs with £2.9 million in the 2017/18 financial year specifically for health and WASH activities, including improved access to safe water for 380,000. We also provided UNICEF with an overall package £19 million, which included improved water supplies for over 110,000 people.Funding international NGOs with £6.4 million in the 2018/19 financial year specifically for health and WASH activities, including improving water supplies for 420,000 people. As well as providing UNICEF with an overall package £28 million, which included improved water supplies for over 40,000 people.We also contributed to 25% of the costs of the first ever cholera vaccination campaigns in Yemen through our funding to the Global Vaccine Alliance, targeting nearly a million Yemenis.We are presently determining exact levels of support for 2019, however we expect to provide a further £6.4 million to international NGOs for health and WASH activities and an overall package of at least £28 million to UNICEF, which is expected to improve water supplies for over 220,000 people. We will also contribute again to this year’s vaccination campaigns.

Department for Education

Free School Meals

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the number of (a) free school meals and (b) Government-funded holiday schemes that offered food to participants, by local authority area in the last 12 months for which statistics are available; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: This government has taken significant steps to raise the living standards of low-income families, including introducing the National Living Wage, raising the personal tax allowance so no-one pays tax on the first £12,500 earned and improving financial incentives to work. The government is committed to delivering a country that works for everyone and I want to ensure that all children have access to healthy food and enriching activities during the school holidays. Last year I announced £2 million for projects to deliver this sort of provision, free to disadvantaged pupils during the 2018 summer holidays. We are more than quadrupling that amount for the 2019 summer holidays where we will be exploring how the local coordination of this sort of provision can help more disadvantaged pupils to access free high quality holiday club provision during the school holidays. The information requested on data on the number of free school meals served in each local authority is not held centrally. However, data on the number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals in state-funded schools for each local authority is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2018.Accompanying this answer is a table showing the number of holiday clubs the Department for Education funded within each local authority, through its summer 2018 Holiday Activities and Food Research Fund. Please note that the total number of clubs included in this table is greater than the 283 clubs referred to in the ‘management information release’ related to this fund due to some clubs not returning usable management information. The management release is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/755139/Holiday_Activities_and_Food_2018_Programme_revised.pdf.



237585_Number_of_holiday_clubs_funded
(Excel SpreadSheet, 61 KB)

Children: Social Services

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data his Department collects to monitor the effectiveness of early years intervention strategies in (a) each local authority area, (b) each regional area and (c) England.

Nadhim Zahawi: I refer the hon. Member for Bury North to the answer I gave on 1 April 2019 to Question 237114.

Schools: Croydon

Chris Philp: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much school funding for Croydon there has been in each of the previous 10 years; how many pupils there have been in such schools in each of those years; and what estimate his Department has made of the (a) funding and (b) pupil numbers for schools in Croydon in 2019-2020.

Nick Gibb: The revenue funding allocated for schools for each financial year from 2009 to 2019 for Croydon local authority are shown in the attached table. For financial year 2019-20, only the dedicated schools grant (DSG) has been allocated at this time, though this makes up the bulk of schools funding. The DSG for Croydon this year is £339.3 million. Other grants will be allocated at later points in the year.



238409_Croydon_Revenue_amounts_primary_and_seconda
(Excel SpreadSheet, 25.75 KB)

Schools: Asbestos

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on levels of asbestos in schools in (a) Barnsley and (b) South Yorkshire.

Nick Gibb: The Department started to collect data on asbestos management in schools in 2016. All state-funded schools in England were invited to participate in the voluntary data collection and 25% responded. In February 2017, the findings were published in a report on GOV.UK. Of those taking part, 83% reported that asbestos was present in their school estate. It should be noted, however, that as this was only a proportion of state-funded schools, the responses may not be representative of all schools. The report does not provide information at local level. In March 2018, the Department launched a second data collection, the Asbestos Management Assurance Process. This was launched to help develop a more comprehensive understanding of asbestos management in the school estate. This data collection has just closed and responses are being analysed. The Department intends to publish the findings from this report in spring 2019. To help local authorities, governing bodies and academy trusts to meet their legal duties and manage asbestos effectively, the Department refers to advice from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and also published 'Asbestos Management in Schools' guidance, in February 2017. The HSE advice is clear that if asbestos is unlikely to be damaged or disturbed, then it is best managed in situ. Although, the Department is also clear that when asbestos does pose a risk to safety and cannot be effectively managed in situ, it should be removed. Since 2015, the Department has allocated £6 billion to those responsible for school buildings, for essential maintenance and improvements, including removing or encapsulating asbestos when it is the safest course of action to do so. In addition, through the Priority School Building Programme, the Department is rebuilding or refurbishing buildings in the worst condition in over 500 schools across the country. Asbestos was a factor in selecting buildings for the programme.

Schools: Asbestos

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding his Department has allocated for the removal of asbestos from schools in South Yorkshire in the last 12 months.

Nick Gibb: The Department takes the safety of pupils, staff and visitors to schools very seriously. The decision to remove asbestos from schools is made on a case by case basis.Expert advice from the Health and Safety Executive is clear that, as long as asbestos-containing materials are undamaged, and not in locations where they are vulnerable to damage, they are best managed in situ. The Department is clear that when asbestos cannot be effectively managed in situ, it should be removed or encapsulated. The Department provides significant condition funding which can be used for this purpose.Since 2015, the Department has allocated £6 billion to those responsible for maintaining and improving the condition of school buildings, including removing or encapsulating asbestos when it is the safest course of action to do so. This funding is delivered through different routes depending on their size and type.Local authorities and larger multi academy trusts receive a School Condition Allocation and it is for them to prioritise investment across the schools for which they are responsible. Smaller, or stand-alone academy trusts and sixth form colleges have access to the Condition Improvement Fund. In addition, the Priority School Building Programme is rebuilding or refurbishing school buildings in the worst condition across England, covering over 500 schools. Asbestos was a factor when selecting buildings for the programme.

Supported Housing: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many safeguarding referrals for young people living in supported or semi supported accommodation there have been in each year since 2009, by local authority.

Nadhim Zahawi: The information requested on which safeguarding referrals were for young people living in supported or semi supported accommodation is not held centrally.The number of children that were referred to children’s social services is published in the annual children in need statistical publication, we have provided a link to this which is available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need.

Ministry of Justice

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Procurement

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service spent on third-party suppliers (a) in total and (b) per supplier in the financial year 2015-16.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service spent on third-party suppliers (a) in total and (b) per supplier in the financial year 2016-17.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service spent on third-party suppliers (a) in total and (b) per supplier in the financial year 2017-18.

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service is projected to spend on third-party suppliers (a) in total and (b) per supplier in the financial year 2018-19.

Lucy Frazer: The information requested in point A of each question is listed below.HMCTS has spent the following on third party suppliers:1 April 2015 – 31 March 2016: £415,684,1061 April 2016 – 31 March 2017: £528,626,8161 April 2017 – 31 March 2018: £679,957,0771 April 2018 – 28 February 2019: £667,349,522 The information requested within point B of each question could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. HMCTS use third party suppliers to provide a wide range of goods and services across the court estate, including security, fines enforcement, court interpreters and IT software.As part of the governance process, approvals are sought from finance business partners, HR business partners and the director general to ensure that project outcomes and budget are validated and to seek confirmation that internal resource is not available to deliver either due to the specialist nature of the project or due to capacity issues enabling delivery within the project timescales. By using third parties the department can save on salary, national insurance and pension costs associated with permanently employing individuals whose skills may not be needed after a set period. Spending has increased as HMCTS delivers its £1 billion Reform programme, bringing new ways of working to the justice system.

Ministry of Justice: Atos and Microsoft

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the value is of all current contracts agreed by his Department and (a) Microsoft Corporation and (b) Atos.

Edward Argar: The total value of all current contracts with Microsoft is £52,312,423.The total value of all current contracts with Atos is £182,226,526.

Judiciary: Ethnic Groups

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to achieve a representative judiciary; and how many judges are (a) BAME, (b) women and (c) BAME women.

Lucy Frazer: In recent years, there has been progress in achieving a more representative judiciary but we acknowledge there is more to do. As at 1 April 2018, BAME judges made up 7% of judges in the courts in England and Wales and 11% in UK tribunals. Women made up 29% of judges in the courts in England and Wales and 46% in UK tribunals. In courts in England and Wales, as at 1 April 2018, 8% of female judges were BAME, and in UK tribunals 13% of female judges were BAME. The Ministry of Justice is continuing to work closely with the Lord Chief Justice, Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission and other members of the Judicial Diversity Forum, including the legal professions, to increase the diversity of our world-renowned judiciary. MoJ is funding the pre-application judicial education programme (PAJE), which will launch later this month. This is a Judicial Diversity Forum initiative, to support and encourage lawyers interested in a judicial career and will target lawyers from underrepresented groups including BAME and women lawyers, to help them prepare for a judicial career.

Magistrates: Ethnic Groups

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to achieve a representative magistracy; and how many magistrates are (a) BAME, (b) women and (c) BAME women.

Lucy Frazer: Magistrates play a vital role in our justice system and the latest statistics show there has been progress in achieving a more representative magistracy. As at 1 April 2018, 12% of serving magistrates declared themselves as BAME, broadly in line with the general population, and 55% of magistrates were women. Of the female magistrates appointed as at 1 April 2018, 11% were BAME. We remain committed to increasing diversity even further and are working closely with Judicial Office and HMCTS to review the attraction, recruitment and retention of magistrates. We have been building working relationships with a number of organisations, such as Operation Black Vote, with the aim of launching targeted campaigns for more BAME magistrates. Working groups have also been established and promotional materials developed to raise the profile of the magistracy particularly amongst employers. We are also implementing a national end-to-end recruitment process that will ensure every applicant to the magistracy is treated equally.

Paedophilia: Prosecutions

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people in the UK were charged with offences in relation to paedophilia in the last year.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people charged with paedophilia-related offences were (a) convicted and (b) sentenced last year.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average sentence was for an individual charged with (a) child sexual offences and (b) each category of child sexual offence in 2018.

Lucy Frazer: Information on charges is not held by the Ministry of Justice, responsibility for charges brought by the police lies with the Home Office. There were 8,901 defendants proceeded against for child sexual abuse offences in 2017. There were 7,099 people convicted and 6,861 sentenced for child sexual abuse offences in 2017. The Ministry of Justice has published data on court outcomes relating to child sexual abuse in England and Wales up to December 2017, data up to December 2018 will be published on 16 May 2019.

Paedophilia: Sentencing

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice , what steps he will take to strengthen sentences given to convicted paedophiles.

Rory Stewart: Sexual offences perpetrated against children are horrific crimes and the impact of these can have a lasting impact on victims and their families. Sentencing decisions are taken by our independent courts. They will take such decisions based on the full circumstances of the offence and offender, and consider the relevant sentencing guidelines. The independent Sentencing Council has produced definitive guidelines on sexual offences. There are a range of offences someone can be convicted of if they abuse a child. Life imprisonment is available for the most serious offences, such as the rape of a child under the age of 13. For certain child sexual abuse offences, extended determinate sentences can be imposed for the purposes of public protection. There are no plans to increase maximum penalties available for child sexual abuse offences. Average custodial sentences for sexual offences overall are increasing, and have gone up from 43 months in 2007 to just under 60 months in 2017. The number of prisoners serving a custodial sentence for a sexual offence has nearly trebled, from 4,795 (in June 1998) to 13,580 (in 2018).

Domestic Abuse

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the proportion of child contact cases which involved allegations of domestic abuse in each year since 2010.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of child contact cases which involved allegations of domestic abuse in each year since 2010.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice does not hold the requested data. A revised version of Practice Direction 12J, which sets out a framework for judges to use in child arrangements cases where there is a context of domestic abuse, was introduced in October 2017. This makes clear that judges must take appropriate steps to explore any allegations of domestic abuse and give full regard to the impact of any abuse when making a child arrangement order.

Treasury

Tax Collection

Peter Dowd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2019 to Question 232585 on tax collection, what the total amount was that the Affluent teams working in HMRC raised in additional taxation from 2010 to April 2017.

Mel Stride: The Affluent teams were formed during 2011/12 and data is not available for that year. Figures for 2012/13 to 2016/17 are shown below. YearYield2012/13£85.6m2013/14£137.2m2014/15£171.4m2015/16£174.3m2016/17£178.5m

Customs: North of England

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what contingency plans HMRC has for exporting companies in the north to avoid delays at the customs at alternative ports and airports in the event that Channel ports are under pressure in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mel Stride: Delivering a deal negotiated with the EU remains the Government’s top priority. However, in the event of a ‘no deal’, HMRC will prioritise the flow of trade, ensuring the border remains secure, while collecting the taxes due. HMRC have engaged with a broad range of traders and stakeholders to help them prepare for export procedures in the event of a no deal. Although the treatment of goods exported from the UK into the EU will be a matter for the EU, to minimise delays, the Government has streamlined the export process at Roll on Roll off locations to reduce delays and ensured that some customs processes can take place away from the border. The UK has also negotiated accession to the Common Transit Convention (CTC). This allows both imported and exported goods to move smoothly across international borders without the payment of duties until they reach their final destination, and removes the need for multiple import/export declarations as goods move through different territories. Information on CTC can be found on Gov.uk

Revenue and Customs: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people working on the Columbus programme, formerly the Aspire Replacement Programme are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Mel Stride: The Columbus Programme has 12.5 people working on it comprising 7 Civil Servants, 1.5 contractors, 3 contingent labour and 1 supplier.These figures are given in full time equivalents (FTE). Actual headcount is 13 people.

Taxation: Electronic Government

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are working on the Making Tax Digital for Business programme by (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Mel Stride: As at 28 March 2019, there were 165 civil servants in the core programme team, and another 187 internal supplier resource (who are also civil servants). The programme is further supported by a specialist mix of external IT suppliers (who have assigned 102 people on the project) and contingent labour (of 105 people). These numbers do not include ‘business as usual’ support from Operational staff in HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) e.g. on customer support and compliance.

Taxation: Electronic Government

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people who are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants working on the making tax digital for individuals programme.

Mel Stride: The Making Tax Digital for Individuals programme was officially closed in May 2018. However, it was recognised that a number of projects within that programme needed to be completed to avoid any potential operational issues for HMRC. The teams and the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) number of personnel that hold responsibility for the work in this area can be seen in the table below: TeamCivil ServantsContingent LabourSuppliersProject Team900Policy and Design Team7.500Technical and Digital Team8.60.10Suppliers0047

Future Programme

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people who are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants working on the Future Locations Programme.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Compliance for the Future programme has now closed. During autumn 2018 HMRC undertook a full reprioritisation of their transformation programme to release capacity and capability for EU Exit work. Given its importance to any future EU Exit scenario, HMRC decided to redeploy 170 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of project management and IT professionals from Compliance for the Future into the delivery of the Customs Declaration Service Programme and the Border Systems Programme, to support the prospects of delivery success.

Customs Declaration Services Programme

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people who are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants working on the customs declaration services programme.

Mel Stride: HMRC currently has working on the Customs Declaration Service Programme; a) 70 contingent labour contractors, b) 466 IT supplier resource and c) 176 civil servants. The number of contractors and IT suppliers working on the programme has varied over time. HMRC only employs contractors when there is a clearly identifiable skills gap that it cannot fill within the existing staff resources at its disposal.

Child Benefit

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many families who have a child in receipt of disability living allowance have had their child benefit reduced due to exceeding the earnings threshold in each year for which information is available.

Elizabeth Truss: HMRC do not hold information relating to Child Benefit claimants’ receipt of the disability living allowance.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to families who have been reunited through refugee family reunion to access the social security system.

Will Quince: Those who have joined a family member in the UK through refugee family reunion are entitled to the same support as any other person. As with anyone else, they will be assessed to ascertain whether they have complex needs and whether they require additional support to access DWP services.

Social Security Benefits: Refugees

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on collaboration between the Home Office and her Department to ensure that refugees are able to access the employment support and social security benefits that they are entitled to.

Will Quince: The Department for Work and Pensions is working in partnership with the Home Office to improve processes for refugees claiming benefits. In order to achieve this aim we have set up the Post Grant Appointment Scheme (PGAS). The scheme involves contacting persons at the point when they are granted refugee status to see if they wish to apply for benefits and require assistance to do so. If they say they do, an appointment at a local DWP office is arranged for them.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2018 to Question 142517 on employment support allowance, which Minister authorised revisions to the wording of ESA65B letters to claimants’ GPs.

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2018 to Question 142517, whether the Cabinet Secretary has issued any further ministerial requirements in relation to the ESA65B letters to employment support allowance claimants’ GPs after the initial requirement in November 2014.

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2018 to Question 132727, for what reason the revised wording of the ESA65B letters to employment support allowance claimants’ GPs was implemented by a ministerial requirement issued by the Cabinet Secretary instead of the Permanent Secretary of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department routinely works with the Cabinet Office, other government departments and stakeholders to ensure its claimant communications are as clear as possible. The final wording in such communications is authorised by DWP Ministers or officials acting on their behalf.

Employment: Veterans

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to support armed forces veterans into employment.

Will Quince: The Armed Forces Covenant has been in place since May 2011 and sets out the relationship between the nation, the Government and the Armed Forces. The covenant is a written and publicised voluntary pledge from businesses and other organisations who wish to demonstrate their support for the armed forces community. The covenant can be signed by a business or other organisation of any size, and from any industry whether they are an employer of a member of the armed forces community or simply wish to acknowledge publically their support for the armed forces. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) National Employer and Partnership Team (NEPT) actively promote the Armed Forces Covenant to those employers and partner organisations they work with. This has been adopted into routine business to ensure that those new to DWP’s employer portfolio are aware of the opportunity and benefits of support to the Armed Forces community. Every Jobcentre Plus District has an Armed Forced Champion (AFC) who is key to delivering our commitments under the covenant. The AFC will ensure that any concerns and issues raised which affect Service Personnel and their families are integrated within the wider work of Jobcentre Plus. AFCs ensure Work Coaches and other DWP staff can effectively support serving personnel, service leavers, veterans and their families. In addition to the local activity in Jobcentres to support veterans our National Employer and Partnership Team (NEPT) also work closely with the Ministry of Defence to align engagement activity in support of the veteran’s strategy. In particular NEPT work closely with the MOD Careers Transition Partnership (CTP) and the Defence Relationship Management (DRM) team to encourage large employers, trade body associations and partner organisations to provide practical support to the Armed Forces Covenant, particularly the employment of veterans.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water Companies

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to require water companies to publish information on mains water pipes they own that are made of asbestos concrete; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will require water companies to publish strategies to replace mains water pipes that were constructed with asbestos concrete; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Water companies are required to risk assess their water supplies from source to tap including the mains network. Any network risks identified are programmed for replacement where necessary. Although it is well known that there are impacts from inhaling dry asbestos fibres, this is distinct from, and should not be confused with, ingestion of asbestos. The World Health Organisation assessment is that there is no consistent evidence of impact on human health through drinking water. The government will not be making policy changes to require water companies to publish information on whether mains water pipes they own are made of asbestos concrete. The responsibility for maintaining assets lies with water companies. OFWAT are driving company investment in the water sector, for example, in the current price control period, companies are investing £44 billion in the sector. In addition, Ofwat’s regime of company performance commitments promote investment in infrastructure. According to the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater), whilst asbestos concrete pipework is not a significant concern for the thousands of consumers with complaints and enquiries that it supports each year, having a safe and reliable supply of tap water is of paramount importance for water consumers. CCWater expects water companies to provide clear information and reassurance to any consumer who raises questions or concerns with them about this.

Home Office

Refugees: Families

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to lengthen the time a refugee family reunion visa is valid for.

Caroline Nokes: The Government issues a 30-day visa to all non-EEA nationals coming from overseas to stay in the UK for more than six months to enable them to collect their biometric residence permit from the Post Office, following their arrival in the UK. When a family reunion application is made, individuals can specify within a 90-day window when they would like the visa to be valid from. This is to take account of their need to make the necessary travel arrangements. The Government considers that the existing time periods for family reunion visas remain appropriate and we have no plans to review it.

Shoplifting: Brighton Kemptown

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to support convenience retailers in Brighton Kemptown that lost an estimated £147,908 due to shop theft; and if he will make a statement.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using existing powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, including (a) the Community Trigger and (b) Community Remedy to tackle shop theft; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: I chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) which brings together partners including the police, trade bodies and retailers and is overseeing a range of work to tackle retail crime. This includes the collation and dissemination of good practice and developing guidance on the use of Impact Statements for Business, which give victims of business crime the opportunity to set out the impact the crime has had on the business, including, for example, financial loss. The NRCSG also continues to work with retailers to improve the management and response to shop theft using a partnership approach.Where shop theft involves anti-social behaviour, local areas may use the tools provided for by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Where appropriate, this may include the Community Remedy, which gives victims of low-level crime and anti-social behaviour a say in the punishment of perpetrators who receive an out of court punishment, and the Community Trigger, which gives victims of persistent anti-social behaviour the ability to request a formal case review.The powers are deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the circumstances. The Home Office keeps use of the powers under review through an Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board which brings together key partners.

Databases: Telecommunications

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of people who are working on the Communications Capabilities Development Programme by (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Communications Capabilities Development (CCD) programme closed on 31 March 2018.The Communications Data and Lawful Intercept (CDLI) Service Partnership has been established across a number of Government Organisations to sustain and develop capabilities on an enduring basis for a wide range of stakeholders.As of 1 April 2019 85 Civil Servants in the Home Office are directly contributing to the CDLI Service Partnership.

Police: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people working on the national law enforcement data programme are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.

Victoria Atkins: The number of people working on the National Law Enforcement Data programme is made up of:(a) contingent labour = 4(b) supplier resource = 172(c) civil servants = 34(Accurate as of 1 April 2019)The figures provided are based on the resource profile for the current stage of delivery. The resource profile of the programme will flex over time based on its delivery plan.

Religious Buildings: Security

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what policing budget funds have been allocated to the protection of mosques.

Victoria Atkins: Police and Crime Commissioners are responsible for setting local priorities and allocating budgets accordingly. Therefore, this information is not collected centrallyHowever, we know the Police and Crime Commissioner and their Chief Constables continue to place a high priority on protecting places of worship as part of their core activity particularly in relation to hate crime. Fol-lowing the attacks in New Zealand local police have increased patrolling and security measures around mosques and other places of worship to enhance safety and reassure the publicIn addition, protective security advice is provided by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI). NaCTSO have published sector specific protective security advice and guidance for owners and operators of crowded places sites such as places of worship, to allow them to identify key risks and consider what steps to take.

Immigration

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for his Department to (a) publish the findings from the engagement programme on the immigration White Paper and (b) make decisions in response to that engagement; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to add the NHS and Social Care as an advisory group policy area under the UK’s future skills-based immigration system: engagement programme; and for what reasons that area is not currently listed.

Caroline Nokes: The Government published the White Paper, ‘The UK’s future skills-based immigration system’ (Cm 9722) on 19 December 2018. The White Paper is the start of a new conversation and we have launched a year-long engagement programme to take the views of stakeholders across the UK to hear their priorities, concerns and ideas before policies and processes are finalised and the new system comes into force from January 2021. We are determined to ensure that the future system is efficient and able to respond to users’ needs.We have already delivered around 30 events reaching well over 500 stakeholders, including representatives from the health and social care sector.As part of this engagement, we have established a range of advisory groups to enable detailed discussions with private, public and voluntary sector employers and industry representatives. Membership details of these groups will be published on gov.uk shortly.

Visas: Skilled Workers

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the timeframe for (a) deciding on and (b) implementing the salary threshold proposals for Tier 2 visas set out in the immigration White Paper.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether nurses will be exempt from the salary threshold for Tier 2 Visas under the future immigration system set out in the Immigration White Paper.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of immigration proposals detailed in the Immigration White Paper on the (a) social care and (b) NHS workforce; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: We have been clear that we want all EU nationals, including those working in the NHS and the care sector, to stay in the UK after we leave the EU.In their report, EEA migration in the UK, the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended maintaining the existing system of salary thresholds.The Government has been clear that we will undertake an extensive programme of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK, including with the private, public and voluntary sector and local government, as well as industry representatives and individual businesses before taking a final decision on the level of salary thresholds.The proposals in the immigration White Paper, the UK’s Future Skills-Based Immigration System, were accompanied by a full economic appraisal.

Missing Persons: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports to the police have been made of young people reported missing from supported or semi-supported accommodation in the last 10 years, by police force.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office does not hold this information.The NCA Missing Persons Unit publishes annual statistical data on police reported missing incidents. The most recent report was published in December 2017 and covered the 20015/16 reporting year. Data from 37 police forces showed there had been 43,564 incidents of children missing from care. Of these police forces, 34 returned data on missing individuals, relating to 10,681 individual children go missing. This data is not broken down further to types of accommodation.The Department for Education publishes annual data from local authorities relating to children looked after in England, which includes data on incidents of children missing or away from placement without authorisation. Both reports are available online.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans are in place to support vulnerable adults in the application process for the EU settlement scheme.

Caroline Nokes: The Government’s approach has been informed by extensive regular engagement with its group of external stakeholders who represent the needs of a broad range of vulnerable individuals, to ensure that the EU Settlement Scheme is accessible for all and the right support is in place for applicants.The Home Office has introduced a range of support including grant funding for voluntary and community organisations, assisted digital support and support via the EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre.Specific guidance and resources for local authorities and community leaders is being produced to inform vulnerable groups about the application process and the need to apply.

Migrant Workers: Nurses

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the salary exemption for nurses under Tier 2 visas announced last week will remain Government policy after the UK leaves the EU and be extended to EEA citizens.

Caroline Nokes: We have been clear that we want all EU nationals, including those working in the NHS and the care sector, to stay in the UK after we leave the EU.In their report, EEA migration in the UK, the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended maintaining the existing system of salary thresholds.The Government has been clear that we will undertake an extensive programme of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK, including with the private, public and voluntary sector and local government, as well as industry representatives and individual businesses before taking a final decision on the level of salary thresholds.

Shoplifting: Denton and Reddish

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to support convenience retailers in Denton and Reddish that have lost an estimated £123,303 from shop theft; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Association of Convenience Stores Crime Report 2019; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) retail crime and (b) violence against shop workers; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using (a) the community trigger, (b) the community remedy and (c) other provisions under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to tackle shop theft; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: All forms of retail crime are unacceptable, and everyone has the right to feel safe at work.I chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) which brings together partners including the police, trade bodies – including the Association of Convenience Stores - and retailers and is overseeing a range of work to tackle retail crime. This includes the collation and dissemination of good practice and developing guidance on the use of Impact Statements for Business, which give victims of business crime the opportunity to set out the impact the crime has had on the business, including, for example, financial loss. The NRCSG also continues to work with retailers to improve the management and response to shop theft using a partnership approach according to local circumstances.On 21 January I announced that we will launch a call for evidence on violence and abuse towards shop workers to strengthen our understanding of this issue, including how existing legislation is being applied.In addition, the Sentencing Council is due to consult on a revised guideline on assault in the summer.Where shop theft involves anti-social behaviour, local areas may use the tools provided for by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Where appropriate, this may include the Community Remedy, which gives victims of low-level crime and anti-social behaviour a say in the punishment of perpetrators who receive an out of court punishment, and the Community Trigger, which gives victims of persistent anti-social behaviour the ability to request a formal case review. The powers are deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the circumstances. The Home Office keeps use of the powers under review through an Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board which brings together key partners.

National Business Crime Centre: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to continue to allocate funding to the National Business Crime Centre; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: Ministers are yet to take a decision regarding the award of allocations from the Police Transformation Fund for 2019/2020.

Visas: Families

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many family settlement visas which were initially turned down due to the financial threshold criteria were subsequently turned down on reapplication for a different reason.

Caroline Nokes: All UK visa applications are considered on their individual merits and in line with UK immigration rules and guidance.The latest data on refused family visas can be found in Table vi_01_q (visas tables volume 1) in the Immigration Statistics, year ending December 2018 release with the data tables available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-december-2018/list-of-tables#visasHowever, information on the reasons for refusals are not published.

Firearms: Licensing

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to introduce guidance on statutory firearms licensing.

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans does he have to consult representatives of the shooting community to help ensure the effectiveness of licensing arrangements under statutory firearms licensing guidance.

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) steps he has taken and (b) resources he has allocated to open a public consultation on statutory firearms licensing guidance by July 2019.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government intends to launch a public consultation on the introduction of statutory guidance to the police on firearms licensing before summer re-cess. The statutory guidance will be issued after conclusion of the consulta-tion, and will be informed by it. The consultation will be open to the public, including representatives of the shooting community. The Home Office will absorb the costs of the consultation as part of its responsibility for firearms licensing policy.

Home Office: Databases

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish all non-personal data fields from the Incident Reporting System.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office is committed to making as much data as possible available from the Incident Recording System (IRS) whilst mindful of the personal and sensitive data within it. It has done this through publishing 13 incident level datasets that are available herehttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fire-statistics-incident-level-datasets

Shoplifting: Denton and Reddish

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to support convenience retailers in Denton and Reddish that have lost an estimated £123,303 in the last 12 months due to shop theft; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: I chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) which brings together partners including the police, trade bodies and retailers and is overseeing a range of work to tackle retail crime.This includes the collation and dissemination of good practice and developing guidance on the use of Impact Statements for Business, which give victims of business crime the opportunity to set out the impact the crime has had on the business, including, for example, financial loss. The NRCSG also continues to work with retailers to improve the management and response to shop theft using a partnership approach.

Asylum

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that it meets its international obligations under the Dublin III regulation.

Caroline Nokes: The Dublin III Regulation is a long-standing mechanism between EU Member States to determine which single State has responsibility for examining an asylum claim, whilst at the same time recognising family ties as a factor to unite whilst an asylum claim is considered. We will be bound by the Dublin III Regulation as long as we remain a member of the EU; and in the event of a deal, we will continue to meet our obligations under it throughout the Implementation Period.The Government is fully committed to the timely and efficient operation of the Dublin III Regulation including the family reunification provisions. The UK continues to process requests from other Member States to transfer individuals to the UK to have their asylum claims assessed.The UK has taken a number of actions to strengthen Dublin processes. As part of the Sandhurst Treaty, signed between the UK and France on 18 January 2018, we agreed a comprehensive package to support unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children. This includes a £3.6 million development fund to support eligible children through the Dublin process and ensures that those without any prospect for transferring to the UK are informed of their options. We have also agreed shorter timescales for the acceptance and transfer of cases under the Dublin process and have deployed a UK asylum liaison officer to France to support this process.We are working to secure a comprehensive returns agreement with the EU that replaces our obligations under Dublin once we leave the EU, post Implementation Period. Furthermore, as set out in section 17 of the Withdrawal Act, the UK will seek to negotiate an agreement with the EU to continue to provide a legal route for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children to be reunited with family members in the UK.

Radicalism

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department has taken to tackle far right politically motivated violence in the UK following the March 2019 attacks in Birmingham and in Christchurch in New Zealand; and what meetings he has had with Cabinet colleagues on that issue.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Home Secretary has been clear: the far right has absolutely no place in Britain. The British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far right, which is the antithesis of the values that this country repre-sents: decency, tolerance and respect. Our counter terrorism strategy, CONTEST, works to reduce the risk from all forms of terrorism, irrespective of the ideology that inspires them.Since Christchurch the government has put in place a number of measures to reassure communities of all faiths across the UK who may feel worried about their safety. In the first instance, the Police have implemented additional patrols around mosques and other places of worship and are working with communities to help enhance safety and reassure the public.We have committed to funding a fourth round of the Places of Worship Scheme in 2019/20 as part of the Hate Crime Action Plan refresh, this follows the success of the initial three years of funding. On 19 March 2019 the Home Secretary announced double the amount of funding awarded last year would be available for this year’s scheme; uplifting funding to £1.6 million for 2019/20The Government has also announced a new £5 million fund over 3 years to provide security training for Places of Worship. We will be working closely with communities and faith leaders to develop this new scheme and will, as soon as possible, be opening a competitive process.

Police: Emergency Calls

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of legal protections for police emergency drivers; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government fully recognises the difficult job that police drivers do every day to keep road users and the wider public safe.In September 2017, the Home Office announced a review into the law, guidance and practice surrounding both police pursuits and response driving to ensure that officers have the right legal protections. That included working closely with the police representatives, including the Federation, other government departments and groups representing road users and those advocating road safety.Following the outcome of the review, a consultation was published in May 2018 inviting comments on reforms to certain aspects of road traffic law, the tests set out in the Road Traffic Act 1988 for the offences of careless and dangerous driving, police guidance and training for both pursuit and response driving.The consultation closed in August 2018 and we will shortly announce the next steps.

Visas

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an estimate of the average salary of a person who has been granted a Tier 5 Exceptional Talent visa.

Caroline Nokes: The Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route is designed for internationally recognised leaders and promising future leaders in the digital technology, science and research, arts, humanities and culture sectors. There is no minimum salary requirement for applying for a visa on this route and the Home Office does not collect salary data.

National Security

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to counter activity from hostile states in the UK.

Mr Ben Wallace: We are living in a period where the UK and our international partners face sustained hostile activity from certain states, and the Government takes this threat to the country very seriously.The Home Office has taken a number of steps to counter hostile state activity. For example, the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act, which gained Royal Assent on 12 February 2019, provides a new power to stop, question, search and detain an individual at a port or border area to determine whether they are, or have been, involved in hostile state activity.In addition, the Home Office is currently leading a review of existing Coun-ter-Hostile State Activity legislation in the UK, to establish whether further legislation is required to strengthen our response to all forms of hostile state activity.

Cabinet Office

Firearms: Crime

Will Quince: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of offences involving a firearm in the last 12 months.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 109.01 KB)

Department for International Trade

Cocoa: Trade

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the UN's global goals to end poverty, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that cocoa farmers earn living incomes by 2030.

George Hollingbery: The UK is firmly of the belief that trade has a key role to play in delivering the global goals and tackling poverty. That is why the Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Act enables the UK to put in place a trade preferences scheme for developing countries, granting duty-free, quota-free access to 48 Least Developing Countries and granting tariff reductions to around 25 other developing countries. This is critical to achieving Global Goal 17. It also remains the UK’s priority to replicate the effects of the EU’s Economic Partnership Agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, which includes 24 Commonwealth countries, some of whom are key cocoa producers.

Trade Agreements

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to ensure that (a) hon. Members, (b) NGOs and (c) Trade Unions are able to fully scrutinise future potential trade deals.

George Hollingbery: On 28 February we published further proposals on transparency and scrutiny of FTAs. During negotiations for future free trade agreements we will publish and lay before Parliament a Round Report following each substantive round of negotiations. This Round Report will also be published online in an accessible format. We will also publish an Annual Trade Report covering progress across the full programme of negotiations. We announced our intention to work closely with a parliamentary committee to put in place measures to ensure effective parliamentary scrutiny throughout the process. Alongside our regular engagement with stakeholders, we have set up the Strategic Trade Advisory Group, which was recently announced. Another formal engagement mechanism we are setting up is Expert Trade Advisory Groups. Both of these mechanisms are designed to seek expert insight on strategic trade policy issues, including future trade agreements. These groups will represent a variety of interests, including representatives of trade unions and NGOs.

Petrol: Import Duties

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of zero per cent import tariffs on gasoline on the UK gasoline industry in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

George Hollingbery: If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK will implement a temporary tariff: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-temporary-rates-of-customs-duty-on-imports-after-eu-exit. We expect that the EU’s most favoured nation (MFN) tariff regime will apply to UK exports in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, and there is no indication that the EU will modify its tariff regime as a result of our exit. This decision seeks to ensure that UK importers and consumers do not face potential disruption or price rises that a fully reciprocal tariff policy would create.

EU External Trade: Trade Agreements

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, for what reasons 32 EU trade deals have not been rolled-over for the UK when the UK leaves the EU.

George Hollingbery: The Government is committed to ensuring the benefits of existing EU trade agreements are maintained, providing a smooth transition as we leave the EU. The best way to provide that continuity and stability is for the UK to leave the European Union with a negotiated deal so that the UK can remain covered by all of these agreements during the proposed Implementation Period. Nevertheless, the Government is working to have bilateral agreements in place ready for when they are needed, whether that is in the event of no deal, or after the proposed Implementation Period. We have made good progress signing trade continuity agreements, most recently with Iceland and Norway. Trade with countries where agreements have already been signed or finalised accounts for more than half of the UK’s trade with countries for which the UK is seeking continuity. Many discussions with other countries are at an advanced stage. As with all such discussions, they tend to go down to the wire, and we would expect nothing less from these agreements. Each of the UK’s trade partners will have made an assessment of the likelihood of a no deal scenario, and factored in their own domestic situations, when approaching discussions of continuity with the UK.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Mobile Phones: Rural Areas

Kirstene Hair: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling mobile phone roaming between mobile service network operators in rural areas.

Margot James: The Government is committed to extending geographic mobile coverage to 95% of the UK by 2022, as well as providing an uninterrupted mobile signal on all major roads. Roaming in rural areas has the potential to improve consumer choice and could be a solution for the problem of “partial not-spots.” This is currently mandated for emergency calls so that a 999 call can be made from any mobile in all areas where there is a signal from at least one operator. The Government’s recently published consultation on our Statement of Strategic Priorities urges Ofcom to fully consider the costs and benefits of roaming as an approach to improving mobile coverage more generally, and to maintain the option of requiring roaming by including appropriate provisions when granting rights of use for spectrum.